Sligo City Marathon - Sept 15th 2012

rovers_runner

Sligo City Marathon & Half marathon - with a bit of Leitrim thrown in..

Site: www.sligocitymarathon.com
Early Entry: 40 euro
Chip timing
Start finish area: Sligo Institute of Technology, Knocknarea Arena
Route: http://www.wix.com/warriorofthesea/sligocitymarathon#!ROUTES|c2q4
FB: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003623935052


Loop is around Lough Gill, through Dromahair and back by Cleveragh.
Reasonably flat, a few short climbs.
Aid stations will be available every 6km

Half marathon included too that heads out marathon course and loops back at Parkes Castle.

I will be putting questions to the organisers about road closures etc. as this detail is not listed on the site at present.
It's a fairly large loop so there is bound to be some traffic on the course.
First marathon in Sligo as far as I'm aware which is strange given the history of athletics in the NW.


Updated entry fees based on email from organizers:

It is now €40 for the full marathon and €30 for the half marathon up until one month before the event.

Hard Worker

There have been two National Marathon Championships in Sligo. Richard Mulligan won in 1995 and Gerry Healy won in 1999.
Not sure about the 1999 course, however, the 1995 course was a 17 mile loop followed by a 9 mile loop.

rovers_runner

Hard Worker wrote: »

There have been two National Marathon Championships in Sligo. Richard Mulligan won in 1995 and Gerry Healy won in 1999.
Not sure about the 1999 course, however, the 1995 course was a 17 mile loop followed by a 9 mile loop.

Thanks for pointing that out Hard Worker, long before my time but must see if I can find some results and details from those dates.

Hard Worker

rovers_runner wrote: »

Thanks for pointing that out Hard Worker, long before my time but must see if I can find some results and details from those dates.

Michael Hannon from Sligo AC should be able to give you details. He was running National Marathons around that time and was probably involved in organising.

Hard Worker

23 Apr 1995 Sligo 2:27:11 Richard Mulligan
23 May 1999 Sligo 2:18:06 Gerry Healy

23 Apr 1995 Sligo 3:00:45 Mary Jennings
23 May 1999 Sligo 3:00:45 Mary Jennings

dna_leri

rovers_runner wrote: »

Sligo City Marathon & Half marathon - with a bit of Leitrim thrown in..

Site: www.sligocitymarathon.com
Early Entry: 40 euro
Chip timing
Start finish area: Sligo Institute of Technology, Knocknarea Arena
Route: http://www.wix.com/warriorofthesea/sligocitymarathon#!ROUTES|c2q4
FB: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003623935052


Loop is around Lough Gill, through Dromahair and back by Cleveragh.
Reasonably flat, a few short climbs.
Aid stations will be available every 6km

Half marathon included too that heads out marathon course and loops back at Parkes Castle.

I will be putting questions to the organisers about road closures etc. as this detail is not listed on the site at present.
It's a fairly large loop so there is bound to be some traffic on the course.
First marathon in Sligo as far as I'm aware which is strange given the history of athletics in the NW.


Price changes:
Early Entry May-July Late Entry
Full marathon €40 €55 €70
Half marathon €40 €50 €65

Anyone know anything about the organisers?
Are they local, any experience of similar events?

It should be a very scenic route despite the misleading "city" title.
The steep climb on the half-marathon course (aka the squirrel) should be interesting.
THe full marathon is not exactly flat either, the climb up cairns hill at 36 km will be tough.
I also doubt there will be road closures.
PS Its on Sat 15 Sept.

rovers_runner

Got a quick reply today from organizers(who I understand are local) regarding road closures:

"We have Sligo Garda Traffic Corp at all the major junctions as well as lead Garda bikes on both the half and full marathons. We will also have marshals at all junctions on both routes. One lane of Bridge street will be closed to traffic to allow runners free access. Access to the Mall will be regulated by the guards."

I'd have no doubts about the event going off smoothly, although I see Sligo AC seem to be in denial that the event exists ??? Being beaten to the punch has left a bad taste perhaps...

The Sligo Tri club are plugging it though and Ocean FM are among the sponsors.

cloneslad

the streets of sligo 5k was well organised last year, so hopefully this goes off the same way. I've been chatting to some friends who are keen on running it, I think I'll do it too. It's quite reasonably priced too, which is good.

Warriors run is a few weeks beforehand too, makes for a good few weeks running.

Krusty_Clown

Interesting. Anyone know what the roads on the marathon route are like?
Undulating Bothrin-type roads?

T runner

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Interesting. Anyone know what the roads on the marathon route are like?
Undulating Bothrin-type roads?

Undulating 2 lane roads. It's an extremely picturesque course. Course description could be taken from any anthology of Yeats poetry. Looks like a good reason to keep a few long runs going into the autumn. Challenging enough hill at 36k as DNA said. An interesting twist.

Abhainn

Yes a lovely course. Normally Id be targeting the Dublin marathon and the half would have possibly suited then.
But with the Barcelona Challenge on 2 weeks later I have to wait for another day to race for the first time in my home county.

dna_leri

rovers_runner wrote: »

I'd have no doubts about the event going off smoothly, although I see Sligo AC seem to be in denial that the event exists ??? Being beaten to the punch has left a bad taste perhaps...

The Sligo Tri club are plugging it though and Ocean FM are among the sponsors.

I don't think Sligo AC had any plans to organise a marathon. Does this one have an AAI permit? Clubs won't get involved officially unless one has been applied for.

cloneslad wrote: »

the streets of sligo 5k was well organised last year, so hopefully this goes off the same way. .

The streets of sligo was organised by the Sligo Champion and Sligo AC and is on 17 June this year.

rovers_runner

dna_leri wrote: »

I don't think Sligo AC had any plans to organise a marathon. Does this one have an AAI permit? Clubs won't get involved officially unless one has been applied for.

I know events like the fit4life and the Sligo road race league take preference and rightly so (I take part myself when at home and they are well organized), but surely recognition of such a large scale race in the area is warranted.

I would have thought it would also add much needed exposure that a new event would need to get off the ground.

dna_leri

rovers_runner wrote: »

dna_leri wrote: »

I don't think Sligo AC had any plans to organise a marathon. Does this one have an AAI permit? Clubs won't get involved officially unless one has been applied for.

Fair enough they may have not, but I find it strange that they are all other private events such as "Run with ray 5k" (which is a fun run and not even timed) but they have not one mention of a marathon being organised in their town???

I know events like the fit4life and the Sligo road race league take preference and rightly so (I take part myself when at home and they are well organized), but surely recognition of such a large scale race in the area is warranted.

I would have thought it would also add much needed exposure that a new event would need to get off the ground.

Run with Ray is coordinated and promoted by AAI.
I'm sure once this race gets its permit, it will get support from all the local clubs too.

rovers_runner

Thanks for the correction Dna Leri,

Updated entry fees based on email from organizers:

It is now €40 for the full marathon and €30 for the half marathon up until one month before the event.

Can Mods edit my OP to include this ?

Hard Worker

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Interesting. Anyone know what the roads on the marathon route are like?
Undulating Bothrin-type roads?

It's a city marathon. Bound to be wide streets and well sheltered by tall buildings.

Krusty_Clown

Hard Worker wrote: »

It's a city marathon. Bound to be wide streets and well sheltered by tall buildings.

Is Sligo a city?! It'd be a superb training run for DCM.

cloneslad

Hard Worker wrote: »

It's a city marathon. Bound to be wide streets and well sheltered by tall buildings.

well, I chuckled

T runner

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Is Sligo a city?! It'd be a superb training run for DCM.

Hers the lowdown....

It was designated as a gateway city a few years ago for the Gateway town/city initiative. I suppose if Kilkenny's a city then there are a host of large towns of similar and larger population who could claim it.

Sligo used to be a relatively very large town.

In the early 70s it had a population of 13-14,000 compared to Galways 22,000Now its 19,000 versus 80,000. Think in the longer term it lost a lot of its strategic position after partition.

Interestingly Sligo employs more people than Drogheda although only having half its population.

Anyway. IMO opinion a city should be defined as being a dominant regional urban centre of a largish region (e.g Waterford). Or if an urban centre of a small regional area: being large enough to magnetise large numbers of people and industry from a national source. Sligo is neither. It is a largeish regional town which expands only by feeding from its immediate regional area ( population of Sligo town increses, population of county sligo minus Sligo town decreases). Thats the hallmarks of a town.

It has a very fine lake surrounded by mountains though and should make for a great marathon along its shores.

tang1

Great to see a marathon in the North West, but Race Series Half Marathon is on in the Phoenix Park the same day at €20 and will take entries away from this. Surely organisers should have looked at this before fixing a date for it or maybe there hands were tied.

cloneslad

tang1 wrote: »

Great to see a marathon in the North West, but Race Series Half Marathon is on in the Phoenix Park the same day at €20 and will take entries away from this. Surely organisers should have looked at this before fixing a date for it or maybe there hands were tied.

It's on the other side of the country though. I'm sure people in the west / north west and some in the midlands, would gladly choose to run in a new, picturesque race, close to home, rather than travelling to, and running in the Phoenix park.

dna_leri

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Is Sligo a city?! It'd be a superb training run for DCM.

If you can run 26.2 miles without leaving the urban area or doubling back on yourself, then I think you are entitled to call it a city marathon. In Sligo's case you will be in the countryside within 2 miles, but rather fine countryside it is, although you may only have the wildlife for company in places.

Krusty_Clown

dna_leri wrote: »

If you can run 26.2 miles without leaving the urban area or doubling back on yourself, then I think you are entitled to call it a city marathon. In Sligo's case you will be in the countryside within 2 miles, but rather fine countryside it is, although you may only have the wildlife for company in places.

In that case, there are very few city marathons in this country! City or town, it sounds like a great route. Would love to do it. Will see how the middle of the year pans out.

promethius

I know this road well, the scenery inspired our greatest poet to his most famous verse. view of the lake and the hills/mountains for most of the course. Pass through the small picturesque village of dromahair at the half way mark (approx), bound to be loads out to watch there.

narrow roads for 90% of it, pass by Parkes Castle like a something out of the movies overlooking the lake. aughamore and beezies island with the few sail boats and the old wooden pier....

if the sun is out it's gods country there, it's one of my cycle routes. it's a lot more sheltered than the rest of sligo in terms of wind which could be handy.

dates? ah sure you're always clashing with something these days, another sligo event the mullaghmore triathlon clashes with 5, yes 5 other triathlons that weekend. there's a 1.5km swim that evening and the streets of sligo 5km run in on the next day

it won't be the fastest marathon with the hills but it's certainly going to be a memorable one. i've done runs in the pheonix park before, give me the rolling hills of calry and slish wood any day.

great to see marathon back in sligo, surprising it's been so dormant for the last while.

this is a golden age of mass participation events we're in right now.
by god i love sligo!

neilc

Home town marathon for me too!! Trying to convince herself it'd be a good training run for me 6 weeks before Dublin which is the goal race

Mint Sauce

Reasonably flat??

I've cycled around Lough Gill serveral times, it is not flat.

:eek:

Although nice choice for a run. Could be tempting.

cloneslad

I signed up for this the other day.

I've taken a few weeks break from running in preperation to starting an 18 week program, to help give my legs a bit of a break.

Gonna start back up again on Monday, giving me 20 weeks or so prep time for it.

Should be a good run, Warriors is on 2 weeks before, so that should make for a fun taper

T runner

cloneslad wrote: »

I signed up for this the other day.

I've taken a few weeks break from running in preperation to starting an 18 week program, to help give my legs a bit of a break.

Gonna start back up again on Monday, giving me 20 weeks or so prep time for it.

Should be a good run, Warriors is on 2 weeks before, so that should make for a fun taper

3 weeks before i think.

Oisin11178

There will be pacers for this race. Its not 100% sorted yet so i wont post anything. Should know all the details in the next day or 2.

Oisin11178

Pacers will be 1.45, 2.00, 2.15 for the half and 3.30, 3.45, 4.00, 4.15 for the full marathon.

sligovec

Come along to a fun event organised by Sligo VEC which is being held on Sunday 20th of May at 12 midday at Knocknarea. We are hoping for a turnout of at least 500 people to form a chain around the mountain. There will also be a mini-carnival in the carpark at Knocknarea with street performers, market stalls, musicians, and games and face-painting for any of our younger friends. There will be a couple of buses running from the main carpark in Strandhill from 11am. We are encouraging people to go an hour early and drop off any passengers at the mountain and take the bus up from Strandhill carpark. It should be a fun day!

LunarGlider

Does anyone know if this is still on. Very little talk about it and on the facebook page has a mention of a rumour that it is cancelled. Not much else on page and no reply to query. Have many people here entered or know anything more?
Thanks

Aimman

LunarGlider wrote: »

Does anyone know if this is still on. Very little talk about it and on the facebook page has a mention of a rumour that it is cancelled. Not much else on page and no reply to query. Have many people here entered or know anything more?
Thanks

It's still on. A group of us are pacing it and in regular contact with the organisers.

Oisin11178

Whats your query mate, ill try and get an answer for you.
As of 2 days ago it was most deffo still on. Rumours are always floating about i wouldnt worry.

LunarGlider

Just had word back form the organisers that this is on. Great to see a marathon in the north west.

"Rest assured, the Marathon and Half Marathon is definitely going ahead and always has been. We have had wide spread covered on radio (Ocean FM), Run Ireland and Active. The Irish Times are on board now too and will be running a number of articles and adverts on the runs. They will be running a competition and prizes include 2 free entries to the Marathon and a weekend stay at the Radisson Blu Sligo.


As this is the first year of the event our expectation of numbers is around 300 per run, i.e. 600 in total."

Mad Benny

I signed up for the marathon last week. It will be my first. It's very quiet on here. I hope I'm not the only one :eek:

Mint Sauce

Anyone know or hazard the chances of a PB for the half based on the hill profile? Ran the Omagh Half in just under 2 hrs earlier this year, however knowing the Full route around Lough Gill on a road bike, it wouldn't be a course that I would fancy, not sure how the Half compares.

woody1

Mad Benny wrote: »

I signed up for the marathon last week. It will be my first. It's very quiet on here. I hope I'm not the only one :eek:

il be there and the better half so therel be 3 of us at least, us 2 for the half and you for the full,
seriously sligo seems to have a good running club and scene in general, id say itl therel be a good turn out for it, great crowds at the warriors at the weekend , 800 odd runners, youd have to hope a marathon and half marathon could get something similar..

Mint Sauce

woody1 wrote: »

il be there and the better half so therel be 3 of us at least, us 2 for the half and you for the full,
seriously sligo seems to have a good running club and scene in general, id say itl therel be a good turn out for it, great crowds at the warriors at the weekend , 800 odd runners, youd have to hope a marathon and half marathon could get something similar..

And another 200 odd on the transfer list.

cloneslad

I'm signed up for the full, but only doing the half. My g.f's brother is doing the half too.

smithwicks

Whats the entry cut off date?

sara-lou

3 people in my house incl me signed up for the half!

Getting really close now, the north leitrim glens run is the wk before i wonder if they have affected each other much??

The cut off date is sunday i think

Mad Benny

Anybody know what time "race check-in" is finished the evening before the race?

It doesn't say here: http://warriorofthesea.wix.com/sligocitymarathon#!information/cuy0

I will be travelling from Dublin on Friday evening. Would like to get there before it closes rather than hanging around on Saturday morning.

cloneslad

Mad Benny wrote: »

Anybody know what time "race check-in" is finished the evening before the race?

It doesn't say here: http://warriorofthesea.wix.com/sligocitymarathon#!information/cuy0

I will be travelling from Dublin on Friday evening. Would like to get there before it closes rather than hanging around on Saturday morning.

I'll be doing the same as you. Though I may get someone else to register me as I might be going out on fri night in dublin :eek:

dazza21ie

Doing the half myself. Was looking at the profile for it today and it looks quite hilly for the first 7 or so miles. "The Squirrel" looks like a real ballbreaker! Think the place of action will have to be to avoid death for the first half and then try and kick on for the second. Easier said than done I am sure!

sara-lou

It is tight up to that hill but it is downhill after that! its going to be a toughy for sure. would not have called it the squirrel myself i def wouldve picked a larger animal

woody1

hard to say how bad that climb will be without seeing it, route profiles are hard to guage.. worse than anything on the achill half ? which is hilly but not impossible.. worse than the hill on the road up to knocknarea..has anyone here ran it,
might be worth driving it to get a look, convinced my other half to do this as her first half.. and were staying up after..worried she might not be talking to me after seeing that

sara-lou

No Achill would be way more uphill, its a bit roller coasterly, not too hilly but enough to change it up a bit, if that makes any sense............after the "squirrel" it is very flat and downhill, reallly hope there is a good crowd at the end to take us home!!!

neilc

dazza21ie wrote: »

Doing the half myself. Was looking at the profile for it today and it looks quite hilly for the first 7 or so miles. "The Squirrel" looks like a real ballbreaker! Think the place of action will have to be to avoid death for the first half and then try and kick on for the second. Easier said than done I am sure!

Meant to reply to this earlier dazza, I actually ran the route myself a few months ago. The first half isn't as bad as it looks on the elevation profile, the squirrel is the one major challenge on the route. Once you make it to the top it's plain sailing the whole way home.

woody1 wrote: »

hard to say how bad that climb will be without seeing it, route profiles are hard to guage.. worse than anything on the achill half ? which is hilly but not impossible.. worse than the hill on the road up to knocknarea..has anyone here ran it,
might be worth driving it to get a look, convinced my other half to do this as her first half.. and were staying up after..worried she might not be talking to me after seeing that

woody I'd put it on a par with the Glen Rd up the Knocknarea warriors route alright if not just slightly steeper and maybe a touch longer

woody1

okay tough climb so, im going to be popular for that.. suppose il just have to keep saying its all downhill after this and hope she forgives me

Mad Benny

cloneslad wrote: »

I'll be doing the same as you. Though I may get someone else to register me as I might be going out on fri night in dublin :eek:

I got a response back from the organisers.

Checkin closes at 9:30pm and will open again for 1hr only from 7am-8am on Saturday morning.

Are you doing the half or the full? If you are doing the full I can pick up your race number. Send me a PM if it suits.